NE Region General Questions

[Ferraro13]

Hahaha I will def hear on over to the gnac thread lol thank you for the invite. Hahaha WPI just speaking my mind! Hahaha

[falcons2010]

When do the first rankings come out?

[WPI89]

If not different than previous years - the first regional rankings are the second week in February.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Well... it is a little different... depending on how the season ends in February. We have seen first week rankings in the past... this year's will be February 11. I think two years ago it was Feb. 6.

[Hugenerd]

I'm surprised that there is absolutely no talk of MIT in these top 10 conversations.  I understand that they have 3 losses and none have been real pretty, but let's not forget that they played the first 10 games of the year without their All-American, Matt Redfield. He is back now and has contributed in all four of MIT's conference wins, including a solid win over WPI where they held that high-powered offense to a season low 46 points.  An AA rim protector makes a lot of difference.  I wouldn't necessarily put them in the conversation at the top of the region, but I think they deserve to be in the discussion for the top 5-10.  They have another chance to show it this week vs. Babson.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

It's more that I'm slow to come around on WPI than down on MIT.  A win over WPI is not really a world beater at this point.  Their losses are pretty bad, in some cases.  It'll just take time.  With the amount of losses piling up, a three loss record will look better and better as the season goes along.

[WPI89]

I'm surprised that there is absolutely no talk of MIT in these top 10 conversations.  I understand that they have 3 losses and none have been real pretty, but let's not forget that they played the first 10 games of the year without their All-American, Matt Redfield. He is back now and has contributed in all four of MIT's conference wins, including a solid win over WPI where they held that high-powered offense to a season low 46 points.  An AA rim protector makes a lot of difference.  I wouldn't necessarily put them in the conversation at the top of the region, but I think they deserve to be in the discussion for the top 5-10.  They have another chance to show it this week vs. Babson.

HN - I was the one who threw out a hypothetical early top 10.  On Jan 5th.  At that point MIT was 7-3 and coming off 2 terrible losses.  Didn't know what to expect from them.  4 NEWMAC win's later and they are clearly in the discussion.  Big game Wednesday as they host the Beavers.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

The under-the-radar team I'm watching is Johnson & Wales.  They've only loss one d3 game (at Magnus, by 3) - other losses to d1 Brown (by 10) and at J&W (NC) who is not great, but not terrible.  They're destroying the GNAC and their only other single digit game was at Lasell.

I'm not saying they're world beaters, but that's a tough team.  It's certainly possible they'll make the regional rankings at some point.

[lildave678]

Hoops Fan, as I said in the GNAC thread...even as an AMC supporter I'd like to see JWU get their shot in the region/big dance. Obviously not if it comes at the expense of Albertus (say, they win the GNAC and we didn't get a Pool C bid) but they're a very athletic team (enough to keep up with Albertus) that would surprise some people I think.

[Ferraro13]

Johnson and Wales is a solid team, coming off an ECAC tourney championship last year. they can play with anyone in New England

[Corazon]

I'm surprised that there is absolutely no talk of MIT in these top 10 conversations.  I understand that they have 3 losses and none have been real pretty, but let's not forget that they played the first 10 games of the year without their All-American, Matt Redfield. He is back now and has contributed in all four of MIT's conference wins, including a solid win over WPI where they held that high-powered offense to a season low 46 points.  An AA rim protector makes a lot of difference.  I wouldn't necessarily put them in the conversation at the top of the region, but I think they deserve to be in the discussion for the top 5-10.  They have another chance to show it this week vs. Babson.

I agree re MIT

[WPI89]

Top 10 Northeast heading into 2015:

1)  Albertus Magnus
2)  WPI
3)  Western CT
4)  Middlebury
5)  Babson
6)  Williams
7)  Eastern CT
8)  Keene ST
9)  Wesleyan/Hamilton
10  Trinity/Bates

I do not have any idea how to separate the NESCAC log jam at this point?  Every confidence that Amherst will be back near the top of the heap after league play but can't put them there right now.  Also - I struggled some with - "what I think the team is" vs. "what their accomplishments have been" thus far.

15 days later - shot number 2.........

1)   Magnus
2)   WPI
3)   Babson
4)   Eastern
5)   RIC
6)   MIT
7)   Trinity
8)   Johnson & Wales
9)   Amherst
10) Keene St

Others receiving votes:  Southern VT, Middlebury, Williams, Bowdoin, Western, Fitchburg St

[rlk]

I'm surprised that there is absolutely no talk of MIT in these top 10 conversations.  I understand that they have 3 losses and none have been real pretty, but let's not forget that they played the first 10 games of the year without their All-American, Matt Redfield. He is back now and has contributed in all four of MIT's conference wins, including a solid win over WPI where they held that high-powered offense to a season low 46 points.  An AA rim protector makes a lot of difference.  I wouldn't necessarily put them in the conversation at the top of the region, but I think they deserve to be in the discussion for the top 5-10.  They have another chance to show it this week vs. Babson.

I agree re MIT

Two of those losses were also without their other two top players (Andrew Acker and Justin Pedley).

[Buzzerbeater]

Not 1 NESCAC team rated in the Top 25?  How about the North East?  Aren't any of them worthy?

[falcons2010]

No tufts?